Quick Hits: May 11, 2023
1) Multiple sources, including TSN's Elliotte Friedman, have reported that the Flyers plan to announce the hiring of Keith Jones as the organization's new President of Hockey Operations and to drop the "interim" tag from general manager Danny Briere's title. Jones, of course, is a Flyers Alum player and longtime local and national hockey broadcaster.
"Jonesy" lacks hockey managerial experience. On the flip side, he is strong in leaguewide knowledge as well as organizational knowledge and understanding of the Philadelphia sports market and fanbase. This would not be a traditional club president or director of hockey operations role, as the Flyers envision it. As described in general terms, President of Hockey Ops will be a public communicator, a liaison between Hockey Ops and other facets of the organization. He'd work with, but not over, the GM.
From all indications, final decision-making power in player personnel and roster-building matters will lay with the general manager. However, both the President of Hockey Operations and head coach John Tortorella (who already does) will have collaborative input before Briere makes the ultimate decisions.
It's been speculated that there may also be an expansion of player personnel director Alyn McCauley's current role. Assistant general manager Brent Flahr was Chuck Fletcher's right-hand man in both Minnesota and Philadelphia but also has a solid working relationship with Briere.
Jones and Tortorella already have an established relationship. Tortorella knows and trusts him, which may be another factor in the reported hiring decision along with Briere and Jones being familiar and collegial. Jones has his own opinions and will share them openly with Briere and Tortorella but he's someone who is unlikely to engage in a power struggle. Hiring a traditional president -- often someone with an experienced GM background, with related expectations of wielding some degree of directly wielding decision-making (or quasi veto) power in roster decisions rather than a collaborative voice -- would make it tough to have the sort of structure the Flyers seem poised to adopt.
The "triumvirate" method of a GM, a President of Hockey Operations and the team's head coach Tortorella to more or in less a lateral power hierarchy is going to be a delicate balance. Jones would seem to better represent what Dan Hilferty and Comcast-Spectacor envision for the POHO role. Below the GM, POHO and head coach, everyone else would be expected to stay in well-defined lanes (something that Tortorella himself expressed several times that he feels the organization needs to better establish).
Would this method work better? That's hard to say. There's no track record to go by, either collectively as a triumvirate or individually among Briere and Jones in the respective GM and POHO roles. It'd certainly be something different. I also suspect there will be some trial-and-error involved along with some staffing changes -- if not right away, then not too far in the future.
On a personal level, assuming the reports are accurate, I'd be thrilled for Jones. As with Danny Briere, it's almost impossible not like Keith Jones as a human being and as someone who knows the game and the league. As a hockey executive, he's untested, and will ultimately be judged on those merits.
No need to sugarcoat it. There is absolutely risk involved in putting an ongoing rebuild into inexperienced hands at two-thirds of the top of the hockey ops chain. It's an immediate trial by fire. On the flip side, neither Briere nor Jones are afraid of a challenge or to roll up their sleeves and get to work. They're both competitive and hockey savvy. The personality mix also seems right for the type of arrangement the Flyers want.
However, there's a whole lot to be proven. That'd be the case no matter the POHO candidate or power structure.
Hearing that tomorrow morning, PHI will announce Keith Jones as President of Hockey Operations and officially drop the "interim" tag from Daniel Briere's GM role. Jones played 491 NHL games, the final 131 with the Flyers.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 11, 2023
2) There is good news on Flyers' top prospect Cutter Gauthier. He apparently is feeling fine and passed (likely) concussion protocol after leaving Tuesday's World Championships pre-tournament exhibition game between Team USA and Germany in the second period after taking a drive-by elbow to the head from Team Germany's Nico Sturm. Gauthier is expected to play in Friday's preliminary round opener against Finland.
3) The one month countdown is on! On June 11, 2023, the Philadelphia Flyers Alumni Association will host the 2nd annual Walk, Run, Stroll through History at Washington Crossing Historic Park (1638 River Rd, New Hope, PA 18938). Proceeds benefit Flyers Warriors hockey and the Bucks County YMCA's veterans' wellness initiative.
Register here.
4) Today in Flyers History: Flyers Win 1997 ECSF
Game Five in the Eastern Conference Semifinals took place in Buffalo on May 11, 1997. The game was scoreless at the first intermission before John LeClair and Eric Lindros forged a 2-0 lead in the second period. Lindros then successfully converts a penalty shot to make it a 3-0 game.
The Sabres pushed back, to their credit, scoring three of the next four goals. Finally, a pair of tallies by Flyers rookie Dainius Zubrus dashed the Sabres' hopes of a comeback. Philadelphia prevailed, 6-3. The Flyers would go on to take out the Rangers in five games, clinching Philly's seventh trip to the Stanley Cup Final in franchise history.